


To be loved is to be known

by Inlimerencefor_VR_AD



Category: Bridgerton (TV), Bridgerton Series - Julia Quinn
Genre: All the Bridgertons love Kate, Everyone apart from the two is shipping Kathony, F/M, Falling In Love, Getting Together, Hints towards the other future spouses, Kate Sheffield is an angel, References to the Bridgerton prequels, The two are stubborn but loveable idiots, There are mentions of a betting pool
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-14 11:49:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29418189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Inlimerencefor_VR_AD/pseuds/Inlimerencefor_VR_AD
Summary: Moments of love are perhaps best witnessed by those who know them best.OrThe courtship that was not one, and the unsurprising marriage of Anthony Bridgerton and Kate Sheffield from the eyes of those closest to them.
Relationships: Anthony Bridgerton/Kate Sheffield, Daphne Bridgerton/Simon Basset
Comments: 24
Kudos: 123





	To be loved is to be known

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I wanted to write a piece about what their siblings would have thought and felt while watching Kate and Anthony fall in love. English isn't my first language so please be kind and let me know in the comments if you liked the story! Please enjoy!
> 
> (ALSO!!! Kate's casting!!! We have a Kate Sharma! I'm Indian as well, and the rep makes me so happy! I just wanted to share that!)

As Anthony stared down into Kate’s gorgeous amber eyes, he couldn’t quite believe his luck. He had spent so long trying to avoid the idea of falling for her, trying to avoid the look in her eyes when she smirked up at him, the way his heart clutched in the rare moments he could make her laugh, avoided so much. All because of the fear that clouds his every moment, and it was so horrifically funny that it was that same fear, that same bee, which would make him enter into a marriage he had simultaneously hoped to avoid and enter. 

He peered down at Kate’s slightly flushed face, and couldn’t stop himself from leaning down to kiss her beautiful, far too distracting mouth again. The sight of her, in his arms, in his gardens, knowing that she was going to be his, was too much for him to bear. He heard her give a small moan in response to the passion that he couldn’t control and only felt his hands tighten against her waist in response. If they hadn’t just been made to be engaged, and if he didn’t respect her as much as he did, Anthony was not sure he would have been able to stop himself from taking her right there in the gardens of his childhood home.

Knowing that a place which only held pain, no matter how dear it remained to him, would now forever become the place he had gotten engaged to his wife filled him with a joy he didn’t wish to examine too closely, content to bask in the happiness of the moment. 

He pulled back from Kate slowly, feeling pleased as he looked at her glazed over eyes, there were very few moments he felt his future wife would be distracted into silence and he would treasure all of them. Treasure all of them, even more, knowing he was the cause of her pleasure and distraction. He tucked a stray lock of her hair behind her ear as she struggled to regain some composure, feeling some amusement at the sight of her. But that amusement was yanked away the very next moment by the words out of her mouth. “How do you plan on telling your siblings?” 

He felt himself pale as she continued her innocent query, “I suppose I can come up with something for Edwina but you’ll have to tell all of them before the dinner party tonight as well. I expect that is when our mothers plan on announcing the news.” 

He didn’t realise that he had been gawking at her in silence for a while until he felt her stiffen in his arms, which simply wouldn’t do, Kate should never feel uncomfortable in his presence. He brought his attention back to her and away from the thoughts of his feelings for a moment to see her frowning with a touch of... insecurity? “Do you not wish to tell them? Do you…” she hesitated for a moment as he stood confused because? why would he not want to tell his family, “Do you think they would not approve of me?” She sounded hurt but almost accepting of the idea as if anyone was allowed to disapprove of her. 

As if he would ever allow such a thing. 

Even as Anthony was filled with rage once again at every person who had ever made her feel insecure, he knew he had to comfort her. He placed his finger on her lips shushing her, “Don’t be ridiculous. My family adores you, they would probably replace me for you in a heartbeat.” 

He looked on with slight pleasure as she processed this information looking shyly pleased before continuing, “ I was simply preparing myself for the teasing I am about to endure. You’ve already seen how Bridgertons are, merciless.” 

The previous anxiety and slight relief on Kate’s face had given way to a fetching look of amusement which made him want to kiss her senseless. She smirked up at him, a sight he felt he would be getting quite used to, and seemed to put upon her fakest ton voice, “Well, my lord. I wish you luck, I simply cannot wait to hear how it goes later.” 

And she looked so pretty when she teased him, and he was so happy that she was back to teasing him in the first place that he could not even find it within himself to be annoyed. He simply shook his head, preparing himself for the rather ..exciting day ahead of him, before leaning down once again to kiss her smile away, like always, finding himself unable to resist her.

* * *

Colin would be lying if he said that he remembered every detail from the first time that he met Kate Sheffield. He had simply been expecting to make polite conversation and had been pleased to find out that she seemed to have more of a sensible head on her shoulders than most of the ton. He had hoped for a decent conversation and hopefully a friendship to help him last through these never-ending balls and musicals, and that had been all.

Or it had been all that he thought, but that was before he saw how she looked at Anthony when she saw him dancing with Edwina. At first glance, he had almost been mistaken and thought that she was interested in his brother, but as he heard her talk, he had realised with rising glee, that she seemed to dislike Anthony. 

A part of him, the part of him that was the overprotective brother and loved Anthony, was annoyed at her judgements which is probably why he introduced the two of them at a later stage. But the far larger part was overcome with wicked glee, he had never before met someone who was otherwise so witty and kind, and also happened to be annoyed at Anthony. 

But as he saw the two of them bicker as much as they could in polite company, saw them dance together, and saw the hint of chemistry that he was sure they would never admit to being present, Colin had a sense of just knowing, that Kate Sheffield would end up being his sister-in-law at some point in the near future. 

Although, and this Colin thought with a slight tinge of annoyance, he might have to interfere because he doubted those two would ever get down to falling in love without a certain degree of outside interference. But, he decided to wait, after all, he had been the only Bridgerton who had felt the potential yet, and he wanted to see if this was something noticeable to the others as well. He hoped it was, otherwise he might just have to take enjoyment from the slight annoyance that was present between them, something which he had no doubts worsened due to the manner in which he introduced them, and practically forced them to dance together. 

Despite what Anthony thought, Colin was quite invested in the happiness of his siblings as well and did try and play the meddlesome role when required, and if Kate turned out to be the match that Anthony needed to find happiness, Colin would have to do his best in pushing them together.

Because honestly, he still couldn’t believe Anthony’s claim of marrying Edwina. She was perfectly lovely, but hardly the right person for Anthony. He had only danced with her once and he already knew this, it was a miracle that Anthony had not yet realised the same. Or maybe less of a miracle and more a result of sheer bullheadedness. 

Colin would have spent quite a bit of time continuing his observations and ignoring all the matchmakers trying to garner his attention, happily, the ball really did have an exquisite collection of food, had he not spotted something. 

Pen, Penelope that is, he really should stop calling her a nickname, it wouldn’t look “proper”, seemed to be utterly miserable in the corner trying to ignore her mother. And honestly, no poor soul deserved to be stuck with Mrs. Featherington, certainly not Pen, he ought to fulfil the duties which came with friendship and ask her to dance, he had a new book he wished to discuss with her anyway. With that Colin decided to leave all thoughts about his brother for a later date and instead redirected his attention to the redhead.

_

It had been quite some time since Colin had made the acquaintances of the Sheffields, and he now felt quite sure that his initial assumption was correct. The rest of the Bridgertons, the ones old enough to be out in society anyway, seemed to agree with his initial assumption of Kate being the perfect match for Anthony considering the rather rapid betting pool which had been set up to try and guess when Anthony would quit being such a dolt. 

The man continued to believe that he only intended to court Edwina when anyone who knew his brother could tell that Kate was the one he was interested in. In fact, he was pretty sure that even his mother had caught on to some of the tension that was present considering the way she had been eyeing the two. 

On one particular occasion, the two of them had quite literally forgotten everyone else’s presence and were entirely wrapped up in some form of intense discussion where one could literally see the sparks fly. It was quite lucky that they had been in relatively lesser company, only Penelope present aside from the Sheffields and Bridgertons as the dinner had been called by Eloise because she wished for in her own words, “A break from the idiots of the ton”. Honestly, he was surprised she hadn’t deeply insulted someone of a high standing yet considering the manner in which she talked. 

But back to his initial assumption, he was sure in his belief that Kate was perfect for his idiotic, stubborn brother. Apart from the fact that she was witty and could match Anthony perfectly, and had done so on numerous occasions, they really should be more subtle in public settings to be quite honest, she was kind. She was friendly with Pen, not that being friends with Pen required one to be kind, she was an absolute delight, but anyone who was friends with Pen ranked well in his books. More than that, it was obvious that the two had something going on. 

It was obvious when he had stumbled upon them in the garden that they had clearly been discussing something of great importance with his brother looking contrite in a manner he rarely was. If Anthony had taken the effort to apologise for his actions towards Kate, it was quite obvious that he both cared deeply enough for her opinion and that clearly something had happened between them to warrant such an interaction. 

Their chemistry was made even more obvious during the Pall Mall game, he had honestly never seen Anthony quite so vexed, and anyone who could make Anthony that annoyed had to be a perfect Bridgerton. 

So, honestly, when Anthony gathered all of his siblings into the family room at Aubrey and coughed out in a slightly choked voice, “I am engaged to Ms. Kate Sheffield, the announcement should be made later today. I do hope you shall welcome her and be kind to her”, the only thought that Colin could come up with was “Finally”. 

Both because these two idiots had stopped pretending there was nothing there and that he had won the bet. He ignored his siblings glares as he relaxed with a smirk, it was to be expected, after all, he was the one who introduced them.

* * *

Eloise hadn’t really known what to make of Colin’s whispered suggestion that she keep an eye out for Kate Sheffield in the beginning. She had only interacted with Kate once or twice but had found her rather pleasant. Kate was friends with Penelope though, something which clearly highlighted her good sense of mind, so Eloise had no issues in deepening her friendship with the Sheffield sisters. Edwina was quite the charming lady as well, and she and Eloise were becoming fast friends so she couldn’t quite understand why the specific attention to Kate was required.

It wasn’t until one of the rare balls which her brothers also attended that she understood the specificity. 

For all that it was her first season and Eloise should be attempting to catch a husband, Eloise spent most of the balls at Pen’s side, trying to avoid going out to the dance floor. Most of the men in the ton were so obviously looking for her fortune or just assumed that she was dumb she couldn’t bear having to smile through a dance or conversation with them. 

She had a brief thought pass her mind wherein she thought she might prefer a husband similar to that of her cousin, Marina. He was.. some Crane? But he lived away from the ton and from what she remembered had been a botanist, so clearly some intelligence. But she could hardly hold on to that thought as she looked on to the dance floor and realised what Colin had been hinting at, Kate and Anthony were.. dancing.

This shouldn’t be the cause of as much surprise as she felt, she was aware enough to realise that Anthony had been attempting to court Edwina, and proper manners would require him to pay a certain degree of attention to Kate as well. Particularly so in Edwina’s case considering Edwina’s rather memorable announcement at the Smythe-Smith musical that she wouldn’t get married without Kate’s approval. Eloise hadn’t been there, no matter her relatively decent terms with the Smythe-Smiths she couldn’t make herself go, but that announcement was part of the reason she had befriended the Sheffields before Colin had asked her to keep an eye on them. 

She admired a good sisterly bond in a world which was full of the Featheringtons with most people being unkind to their siblings. So, she shouldn’t be surprised to see Anthony dancing with Kate, but.. there was such a difference. 

She had seen him dancing with Edwina, and considering herself an expert on the female expression, she knew that Anthony made no special effort, Edwina and he usually seemed to be engaged in no more than polite conversation. But with Kate, both of them seemed to be almost lit up. She didn’t think they were flirting or anything of the sort, in fact, she tilted her head and squinted, they both seemed quite irritated, almost as if they were arguing. 

But, they looked so alive. Even in an argument, with their attention wholly focused on the conversation in a way that ladies and gents of the ton rarely did. And, she realised with a slight tightening of her heart, Anthony looked like.. himself. 

He looked alive and snarky, and slightly mean, he looked like Anthony Bridgerton and not the Viscount Bridgerton he had forced himself to become since their father’s death. She caught Colin’s eye from across the floor and she wondered what expression she was making that he immediately had realisation dawn on his own face and smiled at her softly, knowing that she had seen the same thing that he had. 

Eloise knew, in that moment, and on that night, that she had to observe this further. 

_

By the time the event at Aubrey Hall came about, Eloise was sure about two things. Her brother and Kate were meant for each other (something which she had a strong feeling Edwina knew as well), and that Anthony had somehow made a mess of things. 

The former was rather obvious, the two quite literally forgot anyone else in their conversations, although those conversations were more like debates. She couldn’t make any sense of them, at the dinner party that had been held at her insistence they had started arguing about her dog of all things. 

Which, to be fair, Anthony had been pulled into the water because of it but really did they need to make such intense eye contact while discussing it? She could hardly put her observation skills to use when one half of the pair was her brother and seeing him look at someone with that much tension was quite unbearable for her. 

As for the latter, it was obvious because of how the two of them had been acting before coming to Aubrey Hall. For the first time since her childhood, since before their father’s death, she had seen glimpses of her brother from beneath the persona of the head of the family he had been forced to wear at far too young an age. She had almost forgotten that version of him had existed, and she had missed him. 

He may be perpetually annoyed with his arguments with Kate, but she had seen him happy as well. And Eloise had been so sure that he would start courting the right sister until something went ..wrong. It had to have happened sometime during the Opera held at Bridgerton House because Anthony went about with a perpetual dark cloud over his head and a scowl on his face and she hadn’t seen Kate since. Every request for a visit had been rejected under the guise of ill health and it just seemed too much of a coincidence. 

She was ready to snap at Anthony for messing up a good friendship because she liked Kate. Kate was lovely, kind, and intelligent, and one of the few people who seemed to like Eloise for herself and not for the sake of being a Bridgerton, and if she lost that because of her brother being an idiot she would never forgive him. 

However, things seemed to have resolved themselves without her interference, Kate had apparently played Pall Mall in the afternoon and going off of Daphne and Colin’s expressions and later anecdotes regarding the event, the two must have made up but she wasn’t sure until the night of the ball. 

She had spotted Kate and Penelope being blocked by Cressida, and good god, one of these days she would murder the woman for being so cruel. But before she could interfere, she saw Anthony do so. She was relieved that he was escorting Pen in, but it was Kate’s expression that gave her pause. She was looking after Anthony with the same glow on her face as when Eloise’s mother talked about their father. 

Looking at that expression, Eloise figured that the two must have sorted out their differences and that she clearly needed to change her date for the betting pool to a nearer one. 

Clearly, it was not near enough because the very next day she saw herself being sat in the family room and being informed that she was getting a new sister. She was ecstatic of course but as she side-eyed Colin who looked far too pleased for her liking, she was slightly annoyed that they couldn’t have waited for two more days. 

Two more! And she would have won. Well, at least she was getting a gem of a human as a sister because of this.

* * *

Benedict had been lucky enough to escape most of the earlier part of the season due to the work which came with the small part of the land that was assigned to him. It may not have been what he wanted to do, but it passed the time well enough and gave him a certain sense of purpose. So, by the time he got back, all he could do was wonder what on Earth had Colin and Eloise so caught up that they seemed to be almost constantly whispering at each other and exchanging glances across the room. 

He found out soon enough, whether he wished to or not. One Kate Sheffield, apparently the sister of the woman Anthony had announced he had wanted to marry at the time when he had randomly announced his decision to finally get wed. 

Benedict may not have approved, but he knew his brother the best in the family, knew the effect their father’s death had on Anthony the most. He had known Anthony the best before he was forced to take on the Viscount’s title, and so he knew all that Anthony had given up as well. 

Despite what Anthony thought, he wasn’t really that subtle, the expression on his face whenever anyone discussed what the future decades would look like for the Bridgertons always had a sense of resignation to them as if he didn’t picture himself in it. So, Benedict hadn’t been surprised when Anthony had said that he didn’t plan on marrying for love, he hadn’t approved, but he hadn’t been surprised. When he had left, he had no doubts that Anthony would succeed in courting the younger Ms. Sheffield, so he couldn’t understand his siblings’ fascination with the older one, but he passed it off as a curiosity. 

Kate seemed like a perfectly nice lady and seemed to antagonise Anthony well enough, but he doubted even the beginnings of feelings would make Anthony inclined to marry for a partnership that would be anything more than a good friendship.

In fact, if there were indeed sparks between the two, and while he had missed the infamous dinner, he had seen them dance once or twice, so he knew that there were, Anthony was even more likely to run away from the older Ms Sheffield. He might choose not to marry the younger one, Benedict doubted that Anthony would want that kind of complication in his marriage, but he wouldn’t marry for love. 

As Benedict watched Ms Kate talk with Eloise on the other side of the ballroom, her dance with Anthony long forgotten, he pitied the situation but thought no more of it. Benedict was far too aware of Anthony’s fears to think that the man would suddenly change.  
_

Benedict blinked in surprise as Ms Kate Sheffield sat down on the easel next to him, considering that she seemed surprised to see him as well, it would appear that she had merely chosen the spot for the view rather than for any other purpose. As such, both of them merely exchanged polite greetings and went back to their respective artworks. The ton had gathered on one of the rare occasions of good weather to simply enjoy the sights of Hyde Park and some of the residents had set up easels for the people to paint if they wished. 

Considering that his family had been involved in some or the other tasks of their own he didn’t see anything wrong with simply stealing away to paint, it was such a rare occasion and opportunity that he simply couldn’t stop himself. He was a bit uncomfortable with Ms Sheffield in his presence, but he gathered that since she seemed a bit of a wallflower herself she wouldn’t draw attention to somebody else as well and relaxed. 

They had been painting for quite a bit of time in silence when Benedict looked up. He had the feeling that someone had been staring at him quite intensely, and the only options were some mama making an attempt to make a match or one of his family members trying to catch his attention. Both of them were not particularly favourable options as he was quite invested in his painting and didn’t wish to stop but he looked up nonetheless, only to see, Anthony? 

Benedict tilted his head in question but he didn’t think Anthony seemed to notice, in fact, his older brother seemed quite determined to stare holes into his head even as Anthony remained involved in conversations with other members of the ton. Benedict couldn’t understand what he had done to vex his brother so. They hadn’t had a quarrel and Anthony wasn’t the sort to blame his siblings for getting some peace and quiet. The only other thing of note was the fact that he was seated next to Kate, but surely not?

Benedict felt a mixed sense of alarm and amusement as he realised that yes, his brother was glaring at him and Ms Sheffield for apparently sitting in each other’s presence. This was an interesting development. Benedict had assumed that at the sign of some feelings for Ms Sheffield, Anthony would do his best to ignore her but he seemed to pay even more attention to her. If this perhaps meant that his idiot of a brother may actually take a decision towards his own happiness, well, Benedict would simply have to help him, wouldn’t he? It’s what good brothers did.

Although Benedict reminded himself, Kate was most likely his future sister in law so he could not, would not flirt with her, but he could strike up a conversation. That would be enough to agitate Anthony. 

He turned towards Ms Sheffield hoping to start with some random comment about the sights but was struck dumb when he looked at her painting. Ms Sheffield was quite a talented painter. She had painted the stunning sight of the small pond surrounded by the multitudes of greenery that Hyde park contained. Even her portrayal of the various members of the ton was very accurate and beautiful, and the overall ambience of the painting was slightly melancholic despite the bright day. It almost seemed as if such a beautiful day had made Ms. Sheffield melancholy in that she wished someone else could be present here to enjoy it. 

The feel of the painting almost reminded Benedict of his father, which, he remembered suddenly, would make sense considering that as far as he knew Ms Kate had lost her father recently as well. He suddenly felt a sense of solidarity with the woman sitting next to him, and realised that he would have to take the Colin and Eloise route of pushing Anthony towards her. 

It might not have made sense to anyone else but if she could make Benedict feel a sense of solidarity, it would not be difficult to imagine the kind of bond she could share with Anthony, the ways in which the two could connect and help each other. 

He had no desire to distract her from her painting and whatever thoughts occupied her during the time, so he simply continued to paint in silence. It was only when he saw her put her brushes down and give out the sort of sigh that one does after finishing a particularly tough piece that he turned towards her, “I must say Ms Sheffield. You are quite a talented artist. You were truly able to catch the sights of the Park while still giving it an entirely different emotional aura.” 

She seemed to be surprised, which made sense considering that they had never really talked beyond polite matters before but immediately turned towards him, “Thank you Mr Bridgerton. And I do hope you won’t assume this is simply me reciprocating, I adore your painting. I may have caught a different emotional aura but you truly captured the spirit of the moment in your art.” 

She seemed to have some difficulty in speaking so frankly but she appeared to be entirely earnest, true in her love of art, and in her appreciation of his piece, which was a pleasant surprise. He let out a slightly awkward chuckle and a soft “Thank you”, as he turned towards his own piece and looked upon it with new eyes. “You’re quite right, Ms Sheffield” he muttered, looking at his art and actually feeling a sense of contentment for once, “I suppose I did manage to do so”. 

And as he turned towards her to continue a conversation about art and painting, he realised once again that she really was quite the amazing person and perhaps, friend. 

Days later as Benedict sat at Aubrey and heard Anthony announce his engagement, knowing that something scandalous must have happened for his brother to actually make a decision which would bring him happiness, he could only be happy himself at the thought of a dear friend becoming a sister.

* * *

Francesca had been at the Rokesby house and been catching up with some of her cousins when the first letter from Eloise came. Francesca couldn’t stop the slight raise of her eyebrows at the picture that her older sister was painting. She might have been able to brush off some of the finer details of Eloise’s description over the rather interesting encounters happening between her oldest brother and the elder Ms. Sheffield, Eloise was on occasion prone to exaggeration, but she couldn’t brush all of it away in the name of Eloise being Eloise. 

For her sister to actually reach out to Francesca and inform her about the happenings in the ton, something she had only done when Daphne and Simon were in their courting phase, meant that whatever was going on between the two of them had to be a certain degree of seriousness. 

And it seemed, Franscesca thought with a slight pang, that she was missing out on seeing the relationship of one of her siblings develop yet again. It was hardly intentional, she adored them and wished them happiness and would have loved to witness that, but at the same time, London was so loud this time of the year. Considering that Francesca couldn’t even go to most of the events of the season, it didn’t make for much apart from second-hand gossip. Besides being with her cousins in the countryside gave her a bit of peace and quiet which was normally absent in her large family. 

Thankfully Aubrey Hall was extremely close by which meant that once her family descended upon their home, she would be able to witness whatever hints of romance were floating between Anthony and Ms. Sheffield. 

Which would make for a visit quite surrounded by romance, moreso than she had expected but she only had herself to blame for the surprise. She knew as well as anyone else that her Uncle George and Aunt Billie were madly in love with each other, and that considering every Rokesby had found their perfect love match she would be inundated with stories of their early days of romance whether she wanted to or not. 

All these conversations led to her desire to find her own love match, someone who understood her as she was, as Francesca, not only Francesca Bridgerton, almost like a close friend before a lover. But, and she found herself sighing at the thought, she still had some time before her own season, so for now, she would focus on her sibling’s stories instead. 

_

Despite being at Aubrey for a while now and having been introduced to the elder Ms. Sheffield, Francesca still didn’t know her very well. She was rarely allowed to more of the formal dinners and events, as relaxed as the Bridgertons were on their own, they could not break decorum in polite company. 

But she had observed, and heard of course, from all of her siblings it seemed like, heard about their conversations, their banter, whatever happened at Pall Mall, even heard whispers of a fight which was resolved, but that wasn’t important to her. She knew Kate Sheffield was kind and intelligent, and charming, she also knew that the ton didn’t think so, much preferring the younger Ms. Sheffield but Francesca already thought that the ton was rather dim-witted so their opinions didn’t matter. 

She’d talked to Kate, she’d liked Kate, she wasn’t entirely sure whether her brother and Kate would get married but she would have been pleased if they had, but none of that mattered in the end. 

What was important was that the night before her brother announced his engagement to Kate Sheffield, there had been an electrical storm. Francesca simply could not find it within herself to sleep and after tossing and turning for a considerable amount of time, figured that her only reprieve would be to go down to the library and fetch a book. She’d have preferred playing something on the piano, but there were far too many guests to excuse such behaviour so a book would have to do. 

But what she found that night in the library (and nobody ever knew that she saw this, no Bridgerton. Only John, and later Michael, they were the only ones who knew this secret of hers, much like all of her others), was a slightly ajar door and candles within. 

She had already planned on returning back, no matter who was in the library, she couldn’t take the risk that it was not family, when she heard the slight whispers of voices. One voice that had become familiar only recently and another which she had known for as long as she had been alive, the voices of her eldest brother and Ms. Sheffield. She ought to have been scandalised, but the sounds of their conversation, wherein it almost appeared as if Anthony had been comforting Kate (not that she could hear the details), reminded her of an earlier thought. 

Her own desire to marry a close friend before a lover, and the manner in which the two inside the library were talking to each other, like a close friend comforting the other, made her feel warm. 

She returned to her bedroom, and the next day, it was that memory and that thought more than anything which had her beaming with happiness as she offered her brother her congratulations.

* * *

Daphne had been absent from most of the social season as well as most of the gossip during the time that the rest of the family had begun acting like matchmakers for Kate and Anthony. Her pregnancy and Simon’s rather fierce overprotectiveness ensured that she did not meet her family until Aubrey Hall and she hadn’t felt upto getting overly involved with gossip without meeting the woman in question. She desperately wanted Anthony to be happy, but as the only Bridgerton sibling who was married, she also knew that such relationships couldn’t be forced. 

Rather, she was afraid that if Anthony was pushed and teased too much, he would end up distancing himself from Ms Sheffield or end up being cold towards her in an attempt to dissuade his family. 

Daphne had warned her siblings of these things but she wasn’t sure how much they would listen, but at least she was assured that they wouldn’t say anything too forward in front of the Sheffields, considering that for all intents and purposes Anthony was still courting the younger Ms. Sheffield. 

Which, really, was quite ridiculous. If the rumours she had heard were true, Daphne was highly doubtful that Anthony would be able to marry Edwina and have Kate as a sister in law, it would probably be a moral conflict for him, and no matter how overbearing her brother could be, he was always very insistent on propriety. Considering the circumstances under which Daphne and Simon had been wed, she doubted Anthony would do anything to compromise either of the Ms. Sheffields’ reputation, or she hoped. 

She was distantly aware of the extent of Anthony’s reputation but she doubted he would do anything too stupid. In the case that he did, and all ended well, she would take it as explicit permission to tease him forever. It would be far too ironic considering the rather aggressive reaction he had displayed towards her own scandal.

The one thing she was worried about was Anthony’s insistence about marrying only the proper Viscountess, the fact that those were his only requirements, he seemed most determined to not even try to find happiness and love. From what little Simon had told her, it was an early decision of Anthony to not choose love, and one he had not moved on from, and Daphne worried for Anthony. 

Perhaps, earlier she would have been simply annoyed or resigned to it like the rest of their siblings, but she was in love. She had experienced being in love and in a beautiful partnership which had required work and effort but had been so worth it. She knew that Anthony had moved on from his anger towards Simon and was happy for the both of them in finding love, but his stance had not changed. 

The worst thing was, that it wasn’t as if Anthony didn’t believe in the existence of love and thus scorned it. As a Bridgerton, it seemed like each member of their family had found love in some or the other ways. For some, it was as wild as Aunt Poppy and Uncle Andrew’s wild story at sea or simply Aunt Georgiana and Uncle Nicholas turning their friendship into love. This was not even touching upon Daphne’s own story and more importantly, their parent’s story. 

Anthony had known them the longest, had seen them be in love and witnessed their happiness the longest, so Daphne was well aware that Anthony did not doubt the existence of love. She did not know the precise reason that Anthony had made the decision to give up on love, but she knew it had something to do with their father’s death considering how much he’d changed since then. 

Anthony had given up so much for the family, not that he would ever word it that way, been forced into the role of the head of the family at such a young age, been forced to become a father-like figure for his younger siblings, distancing himself from them in the process in some ways. Daphne hoped and wished that Anthony would be able to find happiness outside of what he perceived to be his duties to the Bridgerton name, but the more time passed, the more she doubted whether such a thing would be possible. 

But as well as Daphne knew her brother and knew these things, so did every other Bridgerton. So, if the others were still willing to bet that their oldest was falling in love and had the possibility of happiness within his grasp, then there must be some truth to it, and something special about Ms. Kate Sheffield. 

_

Oh. 

Daphne had only met Kate for the shortest while before realising how correct everyone was. Most people would say that an evening was not enough to pass judgement on a person, but when that person was already well-loved by all the other Bridgertons, it was not too quick of a judgement. 

Even if she had not been adored, and she was, Daphne knew her brother well enough to recognise signs of interest and happiness in him, and God, Anthony was interested in Ms. Sheffield. He may try to hide it under layers of annoyance and frustration at her taking his favourite mallet and her (rather marvellous) sinking of his ball into the lake. But he enjoyed their interactions, it was so utterly obvious to anyone who knew them. 

She might not get the strange flirtation they did through their bickering and teasing, but the sparks certainly seemed to fly between them. Moreso, she had never seen Anthony pay this much attention to somebody’s actions or words, much less during Pall Mall. He often joked that even the Prince Regent could have been playing with them and Anthony would not pay attention to him, but he certainly paid attention to Kate. 

Daphne wasn’t even sure if Anthony was aware of how obvious he was being, but the way in which his eyes tracked every single one of Kate’s movements, the way she seemed to be the sole focus of his attention at any given moment, the slight smile on his face (even as he was annoyed) when she had started cheering at defeating him, they all made his feelings very apparent. 

While Daphne did not know Kate that well, her feelings seemed to rise to the surface on frequent occasions as well. Honestly, the way the two gazed at each other could make others feel quite left out, and Daphne felt a twinge of guilt for her family if that is what she and Simon used to behave like.  
And as if that wasn’t enough, Kate was lovely. She was funny, and kind, had taken to treating Daphne like a friend with just an afternoon, and she was so warm that Daphne had instantly decided that Kate must be a cherished friend and hopefully, sister. She’d even had the courage to break into a Bridgerton argument to back up Daphne, and was absolutely ruthless in Pall Mall, a clear marker of belonging on the Bridgertons side than anything else could ever be. 

So, while Daphne had experienced some initial reservations about interfering in Anthony’s life, preferring to let him figure things out on his own, she simply would have to help things a bit. 

She would not let these two people miss out on their happiness simply because they were too stubborn to actually realise and act on what was happening, not when they both deserved happiness so much. 

_

Well, that was what Daphne had planned, but considering that her brother was in front of them in barely any time announcing their engagement, she figured they had managed to behave like the intelligent people they were. Although looking at Anthony’s face, her scandal theory did not seem far off. In which case, while she would not breathe a word to Kate, she would never let Anthony live the fact down. But, scandal or not, at least her brother would be happy.

* * *

When Gregory and Hyacinth first met Kate, it was in the evening, just a while before the dinner that was organised later on (one which they would not be allowed to attend). They had happened to bump into Kate who had been walking back from her game of Pall Mall and had found them loitering about the entrance with the general appearance of children getting into the spirit of planning a prank. 

Neither of them had been pleased upon being discovered by an adult, even if Gregory did find Ms. Sheffield to be rather pretty. But that initial hesitation had gone away on her introduction. 

She had leaned down a bit, and greeted them with a beautiful smile on her face, “Oh well, if it isn’t the best Bridgertons, I had been hoping to make your acquaintance. I’ve heard such lovely things about the two of you” 

Kate hadn’t even been able to finish her own introduction when Hyacinth leaned forward with slightly narrowed eyes, “You’re Ms. Kate Sheffield aren’t you?”

Kate seemed a bit confused but nodded with a smile nonetheless, “I’ve been looking forward to meeting you. I have also heard many good things about you, and I think you’re particularly witty. And I do so like meeting witty women who are not Bridgertons.” Hyacinth seemed to barely take a breath as she rambled on, and would have probably continued had Gregory not interrupted her. He had leaned down to kiss the back of her hand offering her a, “It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance as well Ms. Sheffield” and smiling up at her with the most charming smile that the young boy could manage. 

Kate would have probably responded with something charming in equal measure, finding herself overcome with a fondness for the youngest two Bridgertons, had she not heard Benedict calling out their names and looking for them. Gregory and Hyacinth’s faces indicated enough guilt and desire to not get caught to hint that they had been in the middle of planning some sort of elaborate prank on their elder sibling. And while Kate did not know what they had planned and should ideally not let them do anything like a responsible adult, she couldn’t make herself turn the two of them in. 

So she simply lowered her voice and whispered conspiratorially, “How about the both of you run away to continue whatever you were doing and I shall distract your brother until you get away?” She waited until she got nods from the pair of starry-eyed children and swept away to distract Benedict by pretending to gush about some beautiful scenery she had seen to paint in the future. 

And as the two youngest Bridgertons stared after her in awe, they both decided that she was one of the better adults out there, and in an afternoon, Kate Sheffield quickly cemented her place as a favourite in their hearts. 

_

So, when Anthony found them to tell them that he would be marrying Kate, the both of them experienced rather different emotions. 

Hyacinth was pleased that Kate would be becoming a sister in the future and becoming a part of their family but she was also confused. The only other couple she had seen was Daphne and Simon and they certainly did not bicker in the manner that her siblings had told her that Anthony and Kate seemed to do. 

In fact, their bickering had reminded her of her own arguments with Lady Danbury’s grandson on the rare occasions when he would talk to her and she certainly wasn’t going to marry him. But, the happiness won out over the confusion and she beamed up in happiness at Anthony, happy that the brother who had been more like a father to her would be finding happiness with such a wonderful lady as well. 

Gregory though was jealous. Oh, he was happy for his older brother, but why did his brother have to find happiness with Kate of all people? He had liked Ms Sheffield, quite a bit. In fact, he had his own hopes that he might have been able to marry her in the future. He knew he was quite young in comparison to her, but if everyone could just wait a bit, the matter would be solved! He would make Ms. Sheffield so happy, it was quite unfair. Even if the person in question marrying her was his own brother. 

Gregory suddenly had an idea and looked up at Anthony, “If you decide not to marry her, or mess up somehow, can I get married to Kate instead?”

He had said this with the utmost sincerity but his words seemed to have broken the rest of his siblings out of whatever stupor they had found themselves in, all of them immediately bursting into laughter, except Hyacinth and Anthony. The former simply hit him slightly on the arm while the latter just blinked at Gregory in perplexed confusion while glaring at the rest of their siblings. 

After a momentary pause, Anthony simply sighed and looked at Gregory, “ I fully intend to get married to and stay married to Kate, dear brother. I’m afraid that you won’t be able to serve as a replacement.” This seemed to set off the rest of their siblings into laughter again, Eloise and Colin almost slipping down off their seats on to the floor while Gregory continued scowling. 

Gregory was sure in his thoughts, even if he could not get married to Kate, he would put up a token objection or disruption. She had called him the best Bridgerton brother and should know that her options were open. 

_

And Anthony? Anthony simply sighed at the sight of his family. He knew that they were happy for him and he was grateful for the same but he just knew that he would be teased for the rest of his life with an extreme amount of “I told you so’s”. He could only hope that Kate’s experience of telling Edwina was going off better than his.

* * *

Kate hadn’t found an opportunity to talk to Edwina before Anthony’s official announcement, but the moment she did, Edwina had leapt at her in happiness, hugging her, chanting claims of how she had always known, and it was about time. Kate simply blinked at her in confusion, not knowing where on earth Edwina had gotten the impression that this was coming even before the incident in the garden. 

_

Edwina slightly rolled her eyes at her sister’s expression of confusion at her statement, honestly, if Edwina as a third party observer could tell that Anthony had been smitten with Kate, shouldn’t Kate who was actually involved in those interactions known as well? 

Oh sure, Anthony may have pretended to be courting Edwina, but it did not take a genius to realise that he was not interested in her at all, most of his attention was always focused on Kate and on the rare occasions that their conversations had extended beyond pleasantries, most of Anthony’s questions had somehow circled back to Kate. One would have to be blind to not realise the true nature of Kate and Anthony’s relationship. 

She still did not understand why such a complicated process of courting had taken place between the two of them, but she supposed since they were complicated individuals, it made sense. She might not have known what demons haunted Anthony, and it was not her place to, but it was obvious that the man had some degree of trauma which might have affected his willingness to pursue his own feelings. 

And Kate, her dearest sister had suffered so much. Edwina might not have heard a lot about Kate’s mother, the topic being a sensitive one in their family, but she knew that she was a lovely person, and she could not imagine how Kate had survived losing her. 

Edwina wouldn’t know what to do with herself if she lost Mary even now, let alone if she had lost her when she was younger. Papa’s death had nearly broken Edwina, and she had no idea how Kate had survived the loss of yet another parent. It was part of the reason why Edwina would pay so much attention to ensuring that Mary was healthy, of course, she wanted for Mary to be with them for a very long time, but she also could not see her sister lose another parent, it would be too painful. 

But hopefully, now, Kate would be getting a support network which was larger than their own small family. Her future brother in law seemed very family-minded, which would mean that he would take care of and support Kate, and the rest of the Bridgertons seemed like a lovely family as well. She hoped that they would be able to get it into Kate’s head as to how loved she was, and how amazing she was. 

Edwina wasn’t blind to the rather mean-spirited comparisons that people often made between her and her sister, and it always made her so angry that she wished she could just make them close their mouths. It was maddening that most of the people that they met could not realise how beautiful and lovely Kate was, it frustrated her so much, but at least Kate’s future husband and in-laws seemed to be well aware.

She wouldn’t have known what to do with herself if they had treated Kate as lesser as well, and she was glad to know that she wouldn't have to. 

Edwina was also slightly relieved for another reason, she was relatively free to fall in love now. She had met the most charming Mr. Bagwell last night and she had loved talking to him, and enjoyed learning about his stories of his journeys to Greece to learn about architecture. She had always wanted to fall for a scholar, and he seemed like just the type, but he wasn’t well off. She had known that, and for the first time, she felt unbearably closed in due to her situation. 

She felt the pressure of marrying someone rich to provide for her family, not that they had ever exerted such pressure, but she knew that three women had no other ways in which to sustain their lives. 

But thankfully, now that Kate was to be married, and married to a Viscount, she would be able to explore this relationship with Mr Bagwell as well. And Kate was marrying someone who seemed head over heels for her, who would always try to make her happy, and that made Edwina so happy she couldn’t even express it in words. Edwina simply looked up at Kate and smiled, “I knew he was quite smitten with you from the start, I don’t know why nobody else did.”

She could still see the confusion in Kate’s face and wanted to sigh. Edwina had an inkling that society’s comparisons had made Kate doubt herself as well, doubt her own ability to be beautiful and charming and for a moment she wanted to shake her sister, but she stopped herself. 

Kate would have a lifetime with Anthony, a lifetime for her to realise what everyone around her already knew, that she deserved the world. And that would have to be enough for this moment, Edwina could hardly force Kate to come to these realisations, but knowing that Kate would be surrounded by people who would remind her of the same brought her a sense of peace and glee.

* * *

On the day of their marriage announcement, Kate and Anthony could not have been concerned with the rest of the ton’s opinions even if they tried. All they could think of was how strange it was that none of their family members seemed surprised at their upcoming nuptials, and the next morning the both of them simply spent it talking to each other about the same. Commiserating over the strangeness of their siblings' reactions, although Kate had laughed in a rather delightful manner while hearing about Gregory, a sound that made Anthony’s heart clench. 

They were so involved in their conversation that they almost forgot about the presence of everyone else, the first of so many mornings they would spend in the same way. 

And as for the family in question? They could simply look upon the scene and smile knowingly as the couple once again confirmed what everyone else had known from the very beginning, that they were meant to be together.

**Author's Note:**

> I particularly enjoyed writing this story! It was something I had been wanting to write since I read the books because I was so curious as to what the people who were closest to the two of them would have felt witnessing the moments that we read about, and the ones that were hidden. 
> 
> I couldn't help myself from dropping hints to their future spouses (except for Sophie and Lucy, I couldn't find a way for the two to fit in). These are my interpretations of the characters so they might be a bit different. I tried to write what I felt their headspaces would be like during the Viscount who Loved me. 
> 
> Francesca was particularly challenging as she's not really a major character before her own book and that features her already widowed, which would obviously result in major changes. My Fran might be a bit more melancholic, but I wanted to portray her as loving her family but at the same time still wanting to seek her own space. The emphasis on her desire for her friendship was to kind of hint towards her relationship with Michael in the future. 
> 
> Benedict might seem a bit cold in the initial bit as well, but I kind of wanted to tap into the fact that he probably knew Anthony the best and would be most tentative about whether Anthony would actually take the step of falling in love. 
> 
> WIth Hyacinth and Gregory, I didn't really have a lot to write on because Adult versions of them would probably be quite different from them as children. I really did want to mention the rather popular headcanon of Gregory having a crush on Kate. And yes, Hyacinth knows Gareth already. Since Simon is close to Lady Danbury, in my universe, he is close to Gareth as well, leading to Hyacinth and Gareth already knowing each other. I mentioned rare occasions because while I don't remember the exact age gap, Gareth is older than Gregory as well so I don't see him talking to Hyacinth a lot as she's still quite young. But I like to think that even young Hyacinth would be similar enough to her older self to frequently get into arguments with people. 
> 
> I also did want to write Colin always having Pen on his mind, despite not knowing his feelings. And here, Colin x Marina never happened, so Marina is the same as in the books which is why Eloise has already heard about Philip. 
> 
> That's about it! I hope you liked it!


End file.
